Just who is Cole Riley? And what kind of life lead him to write about the streets in such vivid and sometimes gritty detail, while weaving in steamy sex and believable intimacy? Surely there are great stories, from his apprenticeship to beloved mentors, to his start at Holloway House publishing, to his current anthologies and projects.

Back in the 1970s, Cole Riley says he was a lost soul. A young black man who used to run the streets, hang out with the bad guys, and do things that were a thugs’ foolishness – these are his words. But it was from those people, whose lives he shared, which formed the substance of the stories Cole Riley would later write. Cole discovered reading and writing, he discovered his love for words, and language and the art of storytelling.

Cole became well known for his brand of urban fiction, and continues to explore the depth and variety of black sexuality. Cole is inspired by the writing that makes you feel, the old masters and the young rebels. Now in his fifties, Cole’s experiences only serve to make his writing richer, more detailed, and more provocative. As he pushes the envelope further, Cole is changing the way African American erotica is written, and thus opening up new possibilities for the genre as a whole. What will the next offering from Cole Riley bring? Let’s find out! Do you have questions for Cole? This is your time to interview him!

Ask as many questions as you’d like; you can even post about and link to the Interview from your blog if you want to. Feel free to share your thoughts!

And there are prizes!

Cole will be giving away awesome prizes for his favorite 3 questions! We’ll be announcing the winners on this thread, on September 10th.

Welcome Author and Editor, Cole Riley to the Eden Community Interview!

You might have seen Cole being active right here in the forums during the Naked Reader Book Club discussions… and of course, you may have read reviews of and seen his very
...

Welcome Author and Editor, Cole Riley to the Eden Community Interview!

You might have seen Cole being active right here in the forums during the Naked Reader Book Club discussions… and of course, you may have read reviews of and seen his very hot book here on Eden, Making the Hook Up!

Just who is Cole Riley? And what kind of life lead him to write about the streets in such vivid and sometimes gritty detail, while weaving in steamy sex and believable intimacy? Surely there are great stories, from his apprenticeship to beloved mentors, to his start at Holloway House publishing, to his current anthologies and projects.

Back in the 1970s, Cole Riley says he was a lost soul. A young black man who used to run the streets, hang out with the bad guys, and do things that were a thugs’ foolishness – these are his words. But it was from those people, whose lives he shared, which formed the substance of the stories Cole Riley would later write. Cole discovered reading and writing, he discovered his love for words, and language and the art of storytelling.

Cole became well known for his brand of urban fiction, and continues to explore the depth and variety of black sexuality. Cole is inspired by the writing that makes you feel, the old masters and the young rebels. Now in his fifties, Cole’s experiences only serve to make his writing richer, more detailed, and more provocative. As he pushes the envelope further, Cole is changing the way African American erotica is written, and thus opening up new possibilities for the genre as a whole. What will the next offering from Cole Riley bring? Let’s find out! Do you have questions for Cole? This is your time to interview him!

Ask as many questions as you’d like; you can even post about and link to the Interview from your blog if you want to. Feel free to share your thoughts!

And there are prizes!

Cole will be giving away awesome prizes for his favorite 3 questions! We’ll be announcing the winners on this thread, on September 10th.

The prizes are...

1st Prize: A copy of Cole’s book Making the Hook Up and a $50 Eden gift card!

2nd Prize: A copy of Cole’s book Making the Hook Up and a $25 Eden gift card!

3rd Prize: A copy of Cole’s book Making the Hook Up!

The Interview is open for questions from today (August 27th ) – September 7th.

1st prize - Rayne for : "They say most white erotica readers will never read it simply because it's written by black people, about black people, giving the impression that it for black people. I'm wondering what, if any, opinion you have on this?"

2nd prize - Airen Wolf for: "First off I have to say that reading "Making The Hook-Up" was an amazing journey into the heart of sensuality. I admit that I was a bit reluctant to begin reading it since I am hopelessly white and I was afraid of the pap that passes for sensuality among mainstream publishers especially where people of color are featured. Instead of the same old same old, I was blown away by the sheer power of the stories, the color issue faded away and it became a human experience. To my mind that is what it makes a truly
great story, when it can appeal to anyone regardless of race, color, and creed. What makes a truly great story for you?"

3rd prize - Msblackpetite for: "There have been many reports about black women being the least desired women in America, based on marriage rates. Do you think this trend plays a role in the amount of African American erotica that is marketed nowadays or do you feel that readers are attracted to good erotica regardless of the ethnicity or culture of the main characters?"

He also recommend three others for honorable mention: Sex, Lies & Law, Mistress Kay, and Kindred.

Ladies, please email or message me your shipping addresses.

Congratulations to the winners, thank you to everyone who asked questions, and a BIG thank you to Cole Riley for a wonderful interview!!!

I was thinking the same thing Rayne! Now I can keep one copy (the reread value on this book is amazing!) and share out the other one.

I hoped my question wouldn't offend expecially when I admitted that I was a bit reluctant to read it based on my experiences with erotica aimed at people of color! This book was amazing and ALL the authors met and in my opinion surpassed Mr. Riley's original ideals for the book. All the stories in this collection are memorable to me which is high praise indeed given my memory! LOL

Anyway thanks to Mr. Riley for giving us the opportunity to learn more about him, his writing and writing in general. An amazing interview!